These Chipotle Chicken Bowls incorporate juicy, marinated chipotle chicken, citrusy corn and black bean salsa, a power blend of quinoa and brown rice, fresh tomatoes, and avocado topped with Greek yogurt, cotija cheese, and tomatillo salsa. It’s our version of Panera’s super popular Baja Chicken Bowl, without the price tag. Plus, its perfect for lunch, dinner, or your next meal prep and is guaranteed to keep you full and fueled.
Ingredients for Chipotle Chicken Bowls
- Chicken breast – is a lean protein source in this bowl and the star of the show. It’s tender, juicy, and packed with flavor, thanks to the chipotle marinade.
- Chipotles in adobo – we opted for chipotles in adobo sauce over powdered chipotle powder for the potency of flavors. They lend a nice dose of spiciness to the chicken.
- Quinoa and brown rice – this powerhouse mix of grains will keep you fueled, thanks to the higher protein content (quinoa) and fiber (brown rice).
- Corn – fresh corn on the cob is the best option when it’s in season, however frozen or canned corn works as a substitute.
- Black beans – a secondary source of protein and fiber.
- Tomatoes – for a vibrant, juicy pop
- Avocado – creamy, nutty, and loaded with healthy fats. This is our favorite tex-mex topping.
- Cheese – cotija or feta work really well in this bowl.
- Greek yogurt – a substitute for sour cream that gives a similar flavor profile and creaminess.
- Tomatillo salsa – we highly recommend making your own (our Tomatillo Salsa Verde is AMAZING!!) when tomatillos are in season, but store bought can also be delicious.
- Seasonings – we use a lot of the same seasonings in this recipe for the chicken and corn salsa, such as garlic, chili powder, cumin, paprika, fresh cilantro, lime juice, and salt and pepper.
Tips for Making the Perfect Bowls
- Marinade time – for more flavorful and tender chicken, marinate the chicken at least two hours before cooking it. We tend to marinate it overnight for the juiciest results.
- Make sure the pan is HOT before cooking the chicken – if you rush the stove-top cooking of this chicken, you will be disappointed in the results. Let your frying pan get hot before adding the chicken, otherwise the juices tend to leak out and cool the pan, boiling the chicken instead of searing in the juices and giving that barky crust you’re after.
- Make the brown rice & quinoa ahead of time – we love to use the pressure cooker to speed up the cooking time of the brown rice and quinoa. However, even with the pressure cooker it can take awhile to get the grains ready. To cut down on prep time, we recommend making the quinoa and brown rice a few hours before or even the night before you make this recipe.
- Use corn on the cob for the corn salsa – frozen or canned corn is an easier option for the corn salsa, but it’s hard to beat the juicy, sweet flavor of fresh corn on the cob, if it’s in season of course. During winter months, we use frozen corn as a substitute.
- Make your own salsa – we really elevate this dish by topping it with our favorite homemade Tomatillo Salsa Verde when tomatillos are in season (summer months). It is so hard to beat the citrusy, lightly sweet flavor of freshly roasted tomatillos. Use jarred salsa verde when tomatillos are not in season.
How to Make Chipotle Chicken Bowls
Chipotle Chicken
Whisk together the avocado oil, lime juice, chipotles and sauce from chipotles in adobo, garlic, chili powder, cumin, paprika, onion powder, salt and pepper. Place the chicken in a Ziploc bag, pour the marinade over the chicken, seal, and shake to distribute the marinade. Let the chicken marinate two hours or up to overnight in the refrigerator.
When you are ready to cook the chicken, remove it from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the chicken and cook undisturbed for 3 to 4 minutes, or until browned on one side. Reduce to medium heat. Flip the chicken and brown another 3 to 4 minutes with the lid on. Transfer the chicken to a plate and tent with foil to rest until you are ready to assemble the bowls.
Roasted Corn Salsa
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Roughly 30 minutes before the chicken marinade time is done, husk the corn. Mash together butter, cilantro, garlic, chili powder, thyme, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Spread the butter onto the three ears of corn. Wrap the ears loosely in foil and place on a baking sheet. Roast the corn for 20 to 25 minutes. Unwrap the foil and allow to cool slightly.
Cut the corn kernels off of the cobs and transfer to a medium bowl. Add the black beans and season with garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, salt and pepper, and lime juice. Toss to coat and set aside.
Brown Rice-Quinoa Mixture
While the corn roasts, combine the quinoa and 1 cup of water in a pressure cooker and set to “pressure cook” for 1 minute. When the pressure cooker is done, vent and transfer the quinoa to a large bowl.
Add the brown rice to the pressure cooker with the remaining 1 cup of water and set to “pressure cook” for 22 minutes. When the pressure cooker is done, vent and transfer the brown rice to the same bowl with the quinoa and mix to combine.
We prefer to cook the brown rice and quinoa separately in the pressure cooker, since quinoa cooks so much faster. It tends to become very mushy when cooked with the brown rice.
Quick Tip: For ease, you can just double the rice content and omit the quinoa.
Chipotle Chicken Bowls
Half the tomatoes and cut the avocado. Slice the chicken. Divide the brown rice mixture, corn salsa, and chicken among five bowls. Top with tomatoes, avocado, tomatillo salsa, cheese, Greek yogurt and cilantro.
Let us know what you think about this recipe for Chipotle Chicken Bowls by dropping a comment and/or rating below. We love to hear from you! And please consider sharing this recipe to Pinterest and/or social media if you enjoyed it (we really appreciate it)! 💕
Check out our other popular bowl recipes for more inspiration:
- Mango Chicken Bowls
- Honey Garlic Shrimp Bowls
- Greek Turkey Meatball Bowls
- Chipotle Shrimp Bowls
- Coconut Shrimp Bowls
Chipotle Chicken Bowls
Ingredients
Chipotle Chicken
- 1 lb chicken breast
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil
- 1 lime, juiced
- 2 chipotles in adobo, sliced
- 2 Tbsp sauce from chipotles in adobo
- 1 tsp granulated garlic
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Roasted Corn Salsa
- 3 ears of corn, husked
- 2 Tbsp low-fat or unsalted butter (plant-based/margarine)
- 1 Tbsp fresh cilantro, minced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ¼ tsp chili powder
- ¼ tsp dried thyme
- salt and pepper, as needed
- 1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 tsp granulated garlic
- ½ tsp cumin
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- 1 lime, juiced
Brown Rice-Quinoa Mixture
- â…” c brown rice (uncooked)
- ½ c quinoa (uncooked)
- 2 c water or chicken broth
Chipotle Chicken Bowls
- 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- 2 avocados, cubed
- ½ c feta or cotija cheese, crumbled
- 1 c tomatillo salsa (optional garnish)
- ½ c Greek yogurt (optional garnish)
- ¼ c fresh cilantro, minced (optional garnish)
Instructions
Chipotle Chicken
- Whisk together the avocado oil, lime juice, chipotles and sauce from chipotles in adobo, garlic, chili powder, cumin, paprika, onion powder, salt and pepper. Place the chicken in a Ziploc bag, pour marinade over the chicken, seal, and shake to distribute the marinade. Let the chicken marinate two hours to overnight in the refrigerator.
- When you are ready to cook the chicken, remove it from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the chicken and cook undisturbed for 3 to 4 minutes, or until browned on one side. Reduce to medium heat. Flip the chicken and brown another 3 to 4 minutes with the lid on. Transfer the chicken to a plate and tent with foil to rest until you are ready to assemble the bowls.
Roasted Corn Salsa
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Roughly 30 minutes before marinade time is done, husk the corn. Mash together butter, cilantro, garlic, chili powder, thyme, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Spread the butter out on the three ears of corn. Wrap the ears loosely in foil and place on a baking sheet. Roast the corn for 20 to 25 minutes. Unwrap the foil and allow to cool slightly.
- Cut the corn kernels off of the cobs and transfer to a medium bowl. Add the black beans and season with garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, salt and pepper, and lime juice. Toss to coat and set aside.
Brown Rice-Quinoa Mixture
- Combine the quinoa and 1 cup of water in a pressure cooker and set to "pressure cook" for 1 minute. When the pressure cooker is done, vent and transfer the quinoa to a large bowl. Add the brown rice to the pressure cooker with the remaining 1 cup of water and set to "pressure cook" for 22 minutes. When the pressure cooker is done, vent and transfer the brown rice to the same bowl with the quinoa and mix to combine. For ease, you can just double the rice content and omit the quinoa.
Chipotle Chicken Bowls
- Half the tomatoes and cut the avocado. Slice the chicken. Divide the brown rice mixture, corn salsa, and chicken among five bowls. Top with tomatoes, avocado, tomatillo salsa, cheese, Greek yogurt and cilantro.
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